ICA foils smuggling attempt of over 1,600 vaporisers found hidden under car bonnet at Woodlands Checkpoint

SINGAPORE: ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint have seized more than 1,600 vaporisers and related components found concealed under the bonnet of a Malaysia-registered car on September 9, 2026, following an intelligence-led operation by ICA’s Integrated Targeting Centre (ITC).

Acting on information received from the ITC, Search and Examination officers directed the vehicle for further checks, leading to the discovery of the vaporisers hidden in the engine compartment.

The 32-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested in connection with the case, which has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for further investigation.

The use of the car bonnet as a concealment space, rather than the passenger cabin or boot, shows the smugglers’ continued effort to exploit areas of vehicles less immediately visible during standard checks. The ITC’s role in flagging the vehicle before physical inspection also shows the value of intelligence-driven targeting in identifying high-risk vehicles among the large daily traffic volume at Woodlands Checkpoint.

Netizens react

The seizure drew a mix of sharp observations and calls for tougher measures online.

One commenter raised the question that enforcement operations rarely answer publicly: “But who’s the recipient?”

Another offered a practical observation about the concealment method itself: “Those things in the engine compartment will be cooked and useless.”

One called for escalation in deterrence: “This is something not new. It is time we should go for public caning to tell all those smugglers we are more serious!”

And one kept it simple with a warning: “Do not challenge ICA.”

Read also: ICA: 27 motorists caught for traffic offences at Woodlands Checkpoint during September school holidays — Eight hit with entry bans